Simplicity of Life
by xo0starfire0ox
Summary: Both of them led simple lives since the revolution. But the complications soon began as he proposed and she accepted the mission. SasuHina
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've written anything (believe me, it's been like years). I've been wanting to write a SasuHina story for some time now after I've read _Torn_ by Renoa Heartilly. It was THE best SasuHina story ever and the one that won my heart over for this strange couple. I loved the slow, mature pace that it was going; it gave it a very sweet and beautiful touch to the story. Sadly, it was deleted.

So, this is my take on the couple. I just love the whole marriage plot...so on with the first chapter!

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**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own _Naruto_...wish I did. But if I did, I wouldn't have to write my fantasies on here, would I?

Chapter 1

Uchiha Sasuke, the famous traitor who left the village to follow after the sinister Orochimaru, to gain the power to defeat the one person that destroyed his entire family, only to find out that he had been fighting on the wrong side. After he learned the truth behind the Uchiha massacre, he turned on Konoha. Sasuke's focus was still on one man, but it was no longer his elder brother. The Rookie Nine, after learning of Sasuke's true intentions and Konoha's dark secret, banded together to bring the Sixth Hokage his rightful judgment. The other ninjas and citizens, disgusted and appalled by the elders' actions, quickly joined in on the mutiny. A revolution had started.

In the end, Konoha was in chaos. Though they were successful in removing Danzo from Hokage, he fled and his whereabouts were unknown. It was only a year ago that Naruto came limping through the village gates, hauling the unconscious Avenger on his shoulders after the two of them trailed Danzo into the forests. Bloodied and broken but beaming with pride as the guards hurried over with their stretchers. Sasuke was back with them.

And the year went by quietly. Sasuke was put on a probationary period. His every move and positions were always kept on watch. The man he had so longed to see dead was still out there, not to mention the Akatsuki were still looking for their pawn. Gradually, Sasuke was able to earn back his place in the Konoha family and was les and les treated as an outlaw.

However, no one expected him to show up at the Hyuuga's compound one afternoon. The Hyuuga head perked up when he heard the Uchiha want to speak with him, and was curious on what he had wanted with the Hyuugas.

Of course, curiosity has a way of throwing surprises at you.

"I want Hyuuga Hinata to be my wife." Sasuke said abruptly. All heads in the room turned towards the last Uchiha, eyes shooting sparks at the ludicrous request.

Nonetheless, the very request troubled Hiashi. A visible frown formed on his face as the many eyes turned their attention away from Sasuke and waited for their leader's reply. Hiashi had given up on Hinata being the next heiress, passing that role onto his younger, more capable daughter, Hanabi. He was retiring next year, and Hanabi will soon assume the position as heiress. However, as a father (though he tended to show less of this side), he wanted what was best for his children.

Subtly, the Hyuuga head turned his attention to his nephew and youngest daughter. Both of them also showed signs of astonishment. Though he had little knowledge of his reserved daughter, he would've expected the other two to understand Hinata a little better. But with their looks of confusion, Hiashi's frown only deepened. He had to question on what grounds this traitor to base such a commitment on.

"Uchiha, we will consider your proposal. You are dismissed." Hiashi said quickly for the lack of answer. Neji started to get up at an outrage of his uncle's reply; to even give this traitor the time of day was more than enough, let alone consideration for such an absurd demand. But Hiashi silenced his nephew with a quick glare as Sasuke got up to take his leave.

"Very well, Hyuuga-sama. I will be waiting for your quick reply." Uchiha said before he was escorted out of the premises.

As soon as the door slid closed, both Neji and Hanabi rushed in front of the Hyuuga leader.

"Hiashi-sama –" Neji began.

Hiashi held his hand up for a pause. "Neji, please bring Hinata. I want to talk to her."

With a nod, Neji left the room, hoping that his cousin would provide some answers soon enough. Hanabi trailed quickly behind.

"What is Otou-sama thinking?" Hanabi voiced the turmoil of her cousin.

Neji simply ignored the question, hoping that the faster they find Hinata, the faster they can get an answer to the question.

~*~*~

Meanwhile, oblivious to the flying rumors that had already sparked, Hinata tended to her small garden, a gift she had received from her father. She was happy to be rid of the burden of being the heiress, though she still winces under the disappointed gazes from the other Main branch members. She developed a hobby of growing medical herbs, perhaps even aspiring to be a great medic-nin like Sakura-chan. She knew she lacked in areas as a fighter, but as a healer, perhaps there was a chance. But for now, she just wanted to live quietly for a little bit before pursuing anymore ambitions.

She was startled by running and whispering noises coming from passing servants. Hinata took a second to look at them, but then decided to continue with her gardening. The servants were always gossiping about something, so this wasn't new to her. But she did feel a little uneasy when she caught their nervous glances her way.

Caught up in her own insecurities and thoughts, she didn't notice her cousin and sister making their way to her.

"Hinata-sama," Neji interrupted. Startled, Hinata dropped her shovel, clanging as it hit the stone ground.

"Neji-niisan, Hanabi, what is it?" Seeing the urgency in their eyes, she knew something was up.

"Have," Neji started hesitantly. "Have you heard?"

Hinata's puzzled eyes cued Hanabi to step in.

"Uchiha Sasuke wants to marry you!" Hanabi shouted.

Hinata stood up with a start. The same look of astonishment crashed into her face. The words were barely processing themselves through her head.

Uchiha Sasuke. Herself.

_Marry_?!

The words echoed on and on. It took all her will-power just to keep from falling over.

"Let's go. Hiashi-sama wants a word with you." Neji motioned. Hinata nodded quickly and went off with the two, also desperate for a word with her father.

~*~*~

"Hinata, are you close to Uchiha Sasuke?" Her father asked bluntly.

"Iie!" Hinata started. Calmly, she continued. "I've only exchanged simple greetings with him, nothing more."

"Then why would he propose? And out of all the girls in Konoha, why Nee-chan?" Hanabi interjected. "No offense." She added quickly.

Hinata was too bothered to even take offense in her sister's statement. "I don't know." Hinata whispered quietly, trying to think of all the past interactions she had with the Uchiha.

All four of them sat in silence. A knock at the door interrupted all the thoughts.

"Hiashi-sama, Hokage-sama and his wife are here to see you." The servant outside briefly explained.

"Hurry up, let them in." he replied back.

Hinata got up from her spot. "I'll go make some tea."

On her way to the kitchen, Hinata's thoughts were filled with her first love. After so many years, Naruto was able to accomplish his goal. Tsunade eventually awoken from her coma, and handpicked Naruto to be her successor. Everyone approved, seeing his loyalty and strength displayed on countless occasions. He was now the seventh Hokage of the village. His strength and determination won over Konoha. Even won over his one true love. It took Sakura years to discover what took her a few days to see in Naruto. Hinata smiled reminiscently at the day the engagement was announced. Oh how it struck her to hear such news at the time! But gradually, her heart pieced itself back together again. They were truly happy with each other, and there was nothing she can do to stand in the way of his happiness. She could now face them without any bitterness in her head.

She returned to the meeting room with a tray of freshly brewed tea in her hands. She carefully slid open the door and was greeted by the yellow spikey head of Naruto's and Sakura's smiling face.

"Hinata-chan!" Sakura greeted joyfully. It has been quite a period of time since they've all seen each other, not because Hinata didn't want to, but because of them really got the time for a reunion. Sakura was now a world-renowned medic-nin and also one of Konoha's beauties.

Hinata smiled as she placed the tray on the table and sat next to her friend. "Sakura-chan, how have you been?"

Sakura giggled and her emerald eyes shimmered mysteriously. She placed a hand over Naruto's. "We have some news!" Naruto announced.

With that, Sakura threw her hands in the air. "I'm going to be a mother!" she exclaimed.

Hinata beamed with happiness for her two friends. "I'm so happy for the both of you! Oh, I'm sure they are going to adorable!" Both of them went on to discussing possible names, what features they may acquire from their parents, baby clothes, and other plans.

Hiashi cleared his throat to interrupt. Surely the Hokage didn't come to visit them at this hour to tell them of just this. "Congratulations Hokage-sama. Forgive me, but you have some other news you want to share with us?"

Both Sakura and Naruto's blissful expressions changed to those of somber ones. "Yes." Naruto replied and took out a scroll.

It was a mission no doubt, most likely for Neji, since it had been forever since Hinata been on a mission. Not since the time when everyone banded together during the revolution.

"I'm sure everyone is aware that Sasuke wants to wed Hinata." Naruto explained.

"How did -" Hinata began.

"We're the ones that suggested it." Sakura interjected.

Hinata slumped down in her posture. "What?"

Naruto took a breath before continuing. "The three of us went out yesterday. Sakura wanted Sasuke to be the first one to hear of our news and also for old time's sake. We got to the topic of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke wanted to start rebuilding it and its honor. We suggested him seeing you, as you're the only single female out of the Rookie Nine."

Sakura must've punched him because a wince was clearly making its way on Naruto's face. "What he _means_ to say is that you're the only one who can do it."

"M-me?" I stuttered.

Sakura looked straight into Hinata's eyes. "With the baby coming along with the Hokage duties, Naruto would be too busy to keep track of Sasuke's movements. Especially since we took him back by force, we're worried that he might be planning to escape. That's why we suggested him to settle down, for the betterment of his clan. But we still want someone to keep a close eye on him, just in case. We would've assigned guards, but I don't want him to feel like a prisoner again. I want him to feel accepted and welcomed. That's why I suggested he should get a wife."

"I don't know what you were talking about. Married life sure seems like prison in disguise." Naruto muttered sheepishly.

Unfortunately, Sakura heard that and sent another powerful punch at Naruto. This time, everyone winced.

"T-This is completely ridiculous!" Hiashi was the first to respond to the mission. "Using _my_ daughter for such a dangerous mission – I won't have any of it!"

Neji was next. "Naruto, what are you thinking suggesting something like that?! What if Uchiha is planning to escape and Hinata-sama gets hurt in the process?"

"Ultimately, it will be Hinata-chan's decision whether she wants to enter it or not." Naruto said, rubbing the sore spot on his arm.

Sakura then glanced pleadingly at Hinata. "But if you do accept this, I'm sure Konoha will be greatly indebted to you."

Neji noticed the hesitation in his cousin's eyes. He knew that she was actually thinking about it. Her lavender eyes suddenly changed expressions, and he sighed, knowing what conclusion she had made.

"I accept." Hinata said solemnly and reached out to take the scroll into her hands.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Alright, first chapter down. So, what do you all think? Please review and give tips if you want to! Until next time! :)


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to all those that had reviewed and added this story to your favorites or story alerts!

I should be off studying (exams are coming up)...but I'm so addicted to writing this story. _ So, here's the next installment...enjoy!

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Chapter 2

With that determined reply, chaos ensued in the room.

"I forbid Hinata from making that decision." Hiashi quickly said as he tried to snatch the scroll away from his daughter.

Hinata, already expecting someone to take it out of her hands, quickly moved away to the doors. "Tou-sama, I _want_ to do this." _For acceptance, for honor, for pride…_

She quickly unraveled the scroll, bit into her finger and signed in blood. Hiashi's expression took on a helpless one; the scroll had been signed, and in blood too. No way to back out of this without ruining the Hyuuga clan's reputation. He admitted defeat with a scowl on his face.

Neji sighed again and shook his head disapproving. _Signing a scroll without reading it, how rash and foolish of her_. Then again, there are rarely any times Hinata took impulsive actions. He could've easily knocked the scroll out of her hands, but he saw that determinism in her eyes, just like the day she faced off with him in the Chunin exams. He respected her and her decisions. He was only her protector. If she chose to go down this road, he'll be sure to see her to till the end of it.

Naruto and Sakura both looked eternally grateful. "Thanks Hinata-chan. We definitely owe you one." Naruto said.

"A big one." Sakura added.

Naruto started to standing up, signaling his departure. He held out his hand and pulled Sakura up off the floor. The couple wished everyone a good night and flashed Hinata another grateful look before heading out the door.

Hinata let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Today had too many surprises for her. Her father brushed past her on his way out, clearly fuming with anger. Hinata was about to say something, but he slid the door shut before she could even get a peep out. She sighed again. It was that look again that she saw upon her father's features, the scornful, disappointed look she had received so many times. She had shamed him.

"Hinata-sama," Neji held out a hand. "May I see the scroll?"

Hinata kept the scroll tucked away in her arms, suspicious of her cousin. But then figured if he had wanted to destroy it, he wouldn't pick the obvious method of asking her for it. Unless, he wanted her to think that and have her hand it over…

Neji, sensing the hesitancy, smiled reassuringly. "I'm not going to burn it." He said firmly.

With that, Hinata gently placed the scroll in his hands, still a little unsure about it. He unraveled it and started skimming through the passages detailing the mission. In a few minutes he handed it back to her, a firm serious expression on his face.

"You should also read over the mission tonight, Hinata-sama." Neji suggested.

She nodded as she began to open the door. "I will. Good night, Neji-niisan, Hanabi." She said politely and left the two.

She retired to her own bedroom, happy to be alone again. She placed the scroll on her desk and walked to her bed. She plopped right down, feeling both emotionally and physically drained from the day's events. And yet, her mind cannot stop thinking about what is to come.

Looking back, she already felt the regret creeping in under her skin. _What was I thinking? I am no match for Uchiha-san._

She truly had no idea what kind of person he was; she never really had any interaction with him at all. The girls were always talking about his looks, the guys with his strength; but no one ever commented on his pain, his past.

The Uchiha Massacre, possibly one of Konoha's greatest stories. However, it was never a story to Sasuke; it had always been a reality. Hinata had often times thought of her own position with her clan. What if the Hyuugas were all killed except for her?

Otou-sama. Hanabi. Neji-niisan. All slain in front of her eyes.

She shuddered at the thought. The weight of their deaths was too big of a burden for one person to bear alone. That's why when the Uchiha survivor snapped and ran away, Hinata sympathized for him. Knowing the one person who was responsible for the years of pain and loneliness and knowing where to find the power to destroy them, any sane person would jump at the chance.

This was part of the reason she had agreed on the marriage. She wanted him to feel welcomed as Sakura put it. She didn't want him to ever have to face matters on his own anymore. He had a whole village by his side, willing to lead a supporting shoulder. The burden wouldn't have to be his to face alone anymore. They all were his family now. She was his family now.

She got up from her bed slowly and glanced at her desk. She supposed it would be a good time to take Neji's advice and read over what she had agreed to.

The first few paragraphs summarized the Uchiha's offenses. Each consecutive crime was even worse than the one before. With each one, Hinata couldn't even fathom the power he has to even take on some of these people. _Orochimaru. Itachi and Akatsuki. The five kages._ Her fear and regret became more and more pronounced.

The next set of paragraphs outlined what the five nations decided to do with the Uchiha. Though they had originally planned to kill him, Naruto had isolated Sasuke from Akatsuki and brought him down while the five kages went for Uchiha Madara. The Uchiha had however escaped the Konoha 12's grasp and headed for his objective: Danzo. They had followed after his lead after learning that Danzo and a few elders had given the word for the Uchiha clan massacre.

As she continued reading the history, brief images flashed through her mind. She remembered those days very clearly; how could one forget the terror that seized their hearts? Nonetheless, it had helped to have brave comrades by her side. And with Naruto as the leader, she felt that they could get through anything.

So, now with Sasuke in Konoha's hands yet no whereabouts of Danzo or Madara, all the nations are still pretty high-strung with the way things were left after the war. Nonetheless, they were all trying to enjoy this fragile silence for as long as they can, taking time to recuperate. However, once something suspicious occurs, it was guaranteed that all five powers would enter the fight in full strength again.

Hinata was starting to feel the burden added onto her shoulders. If Sasuke was guilty of plotting for the past year, _she_ was going to be the one that would have give the signal for the war to restart again. That is, if she lived to report such things to the Hokage.

She rolled up the scroll again; that was enough reading for tonight. She decided that she should rest up for tonight as she was sure tomorrow would bring even more surprises when she would have to face Sasuke.

~*~*~

The early morning came too soon for Hinata. The first few rays peeked through the crack of the window curtains, waking her from what little sleep she got last night. She was restless; after reading the scroll, many thoughts clouded her mind. And upon getting up, she realized that they will occupy most of her nights from now on.

She picked out a violet-colored kimono to wear for the day. _Otou-sama is probably going to give Sasuke-kun a reply today._ She thought solemnly.

Stepping out into the hallway, she realized it was still too early for any of the servants to be up. Out in the courtyard, she already heard the swift movements of her cousin, already up to train in the stillness of the morning.

Making her way to the kitchen, she took out the materials she needed to brew up some green tea for the morning. Of course, she was trained to be the perfect housewife as part of the heiress training, so these things became a habit for her.

She returned to the courtyard with a tray of steaming tea and a plate of ongiri in her hands. Neji paused from his training momentarily and walked over the step where Hinata was putting the tray down.

"Ohayo, Neji-niisan." She greeted as she offered him a cup.

He accepted it without saying anything, but then he noticed the bags under his cousin's pale eyes. "Hinata-sama, were you able to sleep last night?"

Hinata placed a hand on her cheek. "A little bit." She said and smiled. Picking up the plate, she offered him some ongiri.

"Thanks." He said and picked up one. A somewhat awkward silence came between them, as it always had when both were trying to strike up a conversation that the other person can answer with one word. "Worried?" he finally asked.

Seeing as her cousin already saw through her, there was no use hiding the anxiety that had crept over her. "Hai." She replied back softly.

Another awkward silence filled the morning air.

"Neji-niisan?" Her voice laced with uncertainty. He eyed her questioningly, asking her to continue.

"I w-wanted to ask you, um…" She began picking up her old habit of stuttering again. "W-What's it like to live by hatred?"

She timidly raised her eyes to meet her cousin's, afraid that he might scold at her for asking such a question. He wasn't expecting that question from her; then he frowned as he thought of an answer.

She noticed the definite frown on his features and put her hands up defensively. "N-Not that I'm saying you're anything l-like Uchiha-san." She added quietly.

_So that's the reason why she asked that question so suddenly._ He nodded in understanding. He had once lived with hatred in his heart. Hatred for her and her side for what they had done to his dearest person. He briefly recalled the feeling that drove him to almost kill the person he was sitting next to.

"It was very…tiring. Chasing after perfection to bring justice, it was an exhausting dream to have." He concluded.

She nodded; apologetic eyes looked back at him for bringing up the things of the past. "I supposed strong feelings about anything can motivate anyone to achieve perfection." Hinata muttered absentmindedly.

"Hai." He agreed. "Naruto's strong feelings were able to make me reconsider fate, as well as my hatred. His motivation was even stronger than mine."

"But his feelings didn't reach Sasuke-kun." Hinata said sadly.

"My hatred was nothing compared to the Uchiha's; he had all his loved ones destroyed in one night." Neji acknowledged grimly.

Hinata's chances of saving Sasuke from his hatred looked bleak. "Then is there nothing that we can do to persuade him otherwise?"

Neji had to voice his thoughts now before his foolish cousin got in too deep. "Hinata-sama, if I remembered correctly, nothing in the mission requires you to save Uchiha-san. You are simply going to be an undercover monitor on a dangerous criminal. You don't have to take their feelings into consideration."

Hinata nodded slowly. "Hai." She said softly; it was the end of that conversation. She got up with the tray of empty dishes. "Sorry I kept you from your training." She said.

"Hinata-sama, you should also train with your teammates today; you will need to perfect your skills too." Neji suggested before she turned to leave. She nodded in agreement before retreating to the kitchen.

~*~*~

She went out to train with her teammates afterwards. She had taken the time to train with them every single day, as everyone else was busy trying to get stronger before the start of the war again. On their break, Hinata broke the news to them.

"EH?!" Kiba howled. Shino had a subtler way of showing his shock. Nonetheless, both of them stood, dumbfounded as they waited for their teammate to explain.

"Well, it's kind of like a political clan marriage." Hinata lied. No one but the Hyuugas, the Hokage, and Sakura was to know of the truth behind her acceptance.

"_He_ proposed? To you?" Shino asked. Hinata nodded.

"And you accepted?" Kiba growled. Once again she nodded. An uneasy feeling was planting itself in Hinata as she waited for a response and hopefully an acceptance.

Then, both Kiba and Shino nodded to each other. In a blink of an eye, Kiba was already on the back of Akamaru with Shino following closely behind; both were heading for the Uchiha compound.

Hinata quickly jumped into action and chased them through the streets of Konoha. "Matte, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun!" She shouted after them.

She knew she would have to take a shorter route in order to stop them. She made a turn and ran through the smaller streets with fewer pedestrians. With the Uchiha mansion a couple of meters ahead, she activated Byakugan. She sighed in relief; so sign of them in front yet.

She made it to the compound first, turning towards the main road, waiting for her teammates to make their rowdy appearance. A few seconds later, the three of them were at full-speed towards her. She readied her stance.

"Stop." She warned. None of them wavered.

"Juken." She muttered.

Shino was the first one to halt, seeing Hinata's seriousness in stopping them. "Kiba, stop. Hinata's going to attack." He beckoned.

Kiba could've cared less. That traitor. With his innocent teammate. He's going tear him up to shreds.

Hinata didn't hesitate. She released her attack, throwing Kiba off of Akamaru. He landed a few feet away.

"Damn it, Hinata!" Kiba said as he got up and winced. Hinata immediately noticed and suddenly became concerned. _Okay, so maybe I did put too much chakra into that attack…_

"Kiba-kun, gomen!" She said and quickly began to heal some of his puncture wounds. Kiba quietly sulked as he let her patch him up. She knew he was angry with her, but that couldn't change the fact that she was to wed Uchiha Sasuke.

"Hinata! He's going to only use you, don't you know that?" Kiba barked, angry and frustrated.

She nodded grimly. She knew that. He was going to use her to rebuild his clan. If Naruto and Sakura hadn't mentioned her name at all, Uchiha probably would've plucked any girl out of the crowd and claimed her as a wife.

That was when she heard the wooden door of the Uchiha compound slide open. She turned slightly, her pale eyes coming into contact with the emotionless ebony eyes of the Uchiha survivor.

TO BE CONTINUED...

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Feel free to review, favorite, or add to story alerts! Thanks again to those who already did! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Hey everyone! Thanks to those who have reviewed!

Sorry, it's been a while since I've updated...kinda hit writer's block. This chapter was difficult to write...I was holding back, trying to maintain the pace to a realistic pace and trying to make the characters not OOC (especially Sasuke). So there isn't much action in this chapter, but next chapter will make up for it. The good news is that it is longer than my other chapters so far...but it is kind of slow to develop some of the characters and their viewpoints.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Kiba was going to spring forth and launch an all out attack on Sasuke if Shino wasn't holding him back. Hinata stood where she was, frozen in place. It had been quite some time since she last saw the Uchiha; it was at the hospital right after Naruto dragged him back to Konoha.

Nothing much about him has changed; tall, pale-skinned, raven black hair – not much of a difference. His apathetic eyes glanced at her, then at her noisy teammates.

"Shino, don't stop me strangling that traitor!" Kiba shouted. Shino continued on pulling him back. "Akamaru, go!"

Kiba sent forth his companion after seeing that there was no way out of Shino's grasp. Akamaru barked, receiving his command. He charged, fangs bearing straight for the Uchiha. Sasuke merely focused his gaze on the beast, stopping Akamaru straight in his tracks. Akamaru then whined and retreated back to his master's side.

"Hn." Sasuke said and ignored them as he left his compound. Hinata's eyes followed after him; he was heading for the Hyuuga compound. _The Hyuuga compound?!_

Hinata, suddenly remembering that her father was to give Sasuke his answer and that she needed to be present when he did, quickly turned to her teammates.

"Gomen, Kiba-kun, Shino-kun! I have to get going." She said hurriedly with a quick bow.

"Oi, Hinata!" She heard Kiba shouting after her retreating figure as she raced home, passing the Uchiha on the way there. She didn't stop though; she had to get home before Sasuke shows up at their door again.

Pushing the front gate open, she ran inside to see her cousin and her sister both in the front courtyard. Hanabi quickly grabbed her older sister's arm and dragged her to her bedroom.

"There you are! I was going to have Neji-niisan go out and look for you." Hanabi said and helped her sister get into her kimono.

After a few minutes of the two of them preparing Hinata to a presentable state, she stepped out to see Neji waiting for them. "Uchiha-san just arrived."

Hinata nodded and picked up the hems of her garments and made a quick dash to the main living room. Before sliding the door open, she made last minute touch ups, breathed a quick sigh of relief and prepared herself once again to face the Uchiha.

She stepped in, her eyes refusing to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. "I apologize for my tardiness." She recited politely. She went over beside her father and sat down, making sure that she took small and graceful steps to her seat, just like she was taught many years ago.

Hiashi cleared his throat, signaling the start of the formal announcement. "Yesterday, Uchiha Sasuke-san came to ask for my eldest daughter's hand in marriage. Today, I will reply to that. In my daughter's wishes, she has agreed to this proposition."

There was a slight shuffle in the room, accompanied with the soft murmurings of the Hyuuga advisors. Hiashi paused before continuing.

"Since she is no longer the successor of the Hyuugas, she is free to marry whomever she chooses." Hinata heard one advisor say in their not-so-private discussion.

"Yes, but what of the family's status if she is the wife of that traitor?" Another questioned.

"He is from the prominent Uchiha clan; if he has truly changed, I don't see what the problem is." A third added.

Both Hinata and her father waited patiently for the advisors to settle down. When he was sure he had everyone's attention, Hiashi continued. "I have decided that my daughter would wed in three days."

Hinata shot her head up to look at her father. _Three days?!_ She glanced at the Uchiha sitting across the room. He neither seemed surprised or happy about the decision. Same apathetic eyes as always looked back at her. She quickly dropped her eyes.

"Uchiha-san, please prepare for Hinata's arrival in three days' time." Hiashi said to the raven haired man. In reply, Sasuke only showed a slight nod.

"Okay, this adjourns this meeting. Everyone is dismissed." The Hyuuga head said. Everyone got up from their seats and engaged each other in their own private discussions. Hinata no doubt felt even more stares on her.

Hinata's eyes followed the Uchiha out and noticed her cousin step out with him as well. She sighed; there goes another person to threaten him. Even though she had planned to make the Uchiha feel more welcomed, her actions only seem to be adding to the hostility against Sasuke.

She quickly picked herself up off the ground and headed towards her bedroom. The night air was beginning to get colder and colder as autumn begins to settle in. But the cool breeze helped clear some of her thoughts. She went through a list in her head of the preparations she needed to get done in the next few days.

~*~*~

He quietly opened up the door to his own compound after his meeting with the Hyuugas. It was quiet, but nothing was new; he had always returned home to be greeted with an empty house. Of course, it had always been a taunting reminder of the hatred he shouldered. He avoided being at home whenever possible, going out to train or doing something productive with the motivation he had harvested from his hatred.

But that's going to change.

Sasuke couldn't help but let a smug smirk form on his face. Hyuuga Hinata had accepted his proposal. Before the Chunin Exams, he was oblivious to her existence as was most of the class. It wasn't until the fight with her cousin had he been exposed to the Hyuugas and their bloodline. And when Kakashi muttered something about the Sharingan and Byakugan being connected, it definitely drew him in to learn as much as he possibly can about the two. The Hyuuga clan was something he definitely had to research on.

But from his observations on the individual Hyuuga heiress, he could tell she stood no chance against the hatred her cousin was emitting. Yet she continued her suicidal front, refusing to fall. Her eyes would occasionally wander to his stupid teammate, who was encouraging her to continue on. And all the doubt that was written in her eyes disappeared as she activated Byakugan; her pale eyes burned with determination again.

She was in love with the dobe. And Naruto, being the dense idiot he was clearly didn't take much notice either. Not that it really mattered to him what the two did; such stupid feelings as love only drove people to do stupid things. Besides, he had something much more important to focus on.

Coming back to Konoha after all those years, he realized how much everyone had changed. Sakura eventually gave up on her fangirl crush on him. Instead, she directed her affections toward the one who had pursued after her longer than she had loved the Avenger. He didn't feel any regret or remorse over it; he was happy to get her off of his back. The other ex-avid fangirl of his, Ino, had apparently married Shikamaru and already had two kids; a boy and a girl, just as the lazy shinobi had wanted it.

When his old teammates had invited him out to dinner a few nights ago, he went along with them because he had nothing better to do. But he definitely was not expecting Sakura's announcement of the beginning of her family. He nearly fell out of the chair when he heard that. A child with two idiots as parents, he could only shudder at what the future would be like. Then the dobe had to suggest that he should also get settled in and start a family. As ridiculous as it had sounded, Sasuke realized that he was right. He wasn't getting any younger and there was still the matter of reviving the Uchiha clan.

Sakura went through the list of potential partners; Sasuke sat there, staring off into space and waiting for her to stop. Then Sakura briefly mentioned the Hyuuga. Sasuke perked up, as he was reminded of his interest in the Hyuuga clan. It was a chance to learn more of the histories of Sharingan and Byakugan, perhaps even find out some weaknesses to stop Danzo in the process. In his head, he weighed the benefits against the costs; and decided that he would be able to kill two birds with one stone if he were to take the Hyuuga as his wife.

When he had expressed his interest in Hinata, both of his teammates gave him a bewildered look. Of course, the next evening, he went to the Hyuugas to ask for permission. He didn't get a chance to see her since he came back. Imagine his surprise when he was about to leave for the meeting with the Hyuugas; they were giving their reply. He felt a great surge of chakra and heard some noise outside, but as soon as he opened the door and saw Hyuuga Hinata blasting her teammate off his dog, he held back a smirk. She wasn't the weak little girl anymore. But he wasn't too worried about her turning against him. No one in this village would be able to defeat him; well, no one but Naruto. The real surprise came tonight; he did not expect _her_ to personally accept, as her father had implied. Neither her family members nor herself had questioned him on his motives; perhaps they wanted to get rid of her.

But either way, he was one step closer to figuring out how to deal with Danzo.

~*~*~

"Oh Hinata! I can't believe you're getting married to Sasuke-kun!" The blonde kunoichi said as she cradled her one-year-old in her arms. Hinata smiled, eyeing the little girl in Ino's arms.

Hinata was woken up by both her cousin and sister that morning. Hanabi had been very eager to come along with her for the preparations, and Neji was dragged along. At least one person was happy about this occasion. They needed flowers for the wedding; so where else would they go but to Ino's?

"Yes, well…" Hinata began. Though she considered Ino as a dear friend of hers, the blonde can get a little too excited with a small tidbit of gossip. The infant in her arms began to struggle when she heard her mother's voice rising from the surprise and excitement. Ino noticed this and gently patted her daughter to settle her down.

Shikamaru walked into the shop then, with their five year old son, Touya, dawdling behind his father. One look and it was pretty obvious that they two are related. The spikey pineapple hair characteristic of the Nara sons, the lazy gaze, the exasperated expression – no doubt about it, Touya was the splitting image of his father.

"There you are Shika. Can you take care of Hana for a while? I just need a half hour to go over things with Hinata." She said with a pleading glance as she deposited the baby into his arms.

He sighed, and everyone in the room knew what was coming up next. "Mendou-" he began but was silenced by his wife's icy eyes. "Hai." He simply said and went into the back room with his son and daughter in his hands.

Ino turned to face the Hyuugas. "I'm trying to get Shikamaru to not use _that_ word around Touya. The last thing we need is another Shikamaru in the village." She explained with a bit of nervous laughter.

Hinata grinned. Despite the look of things, the bond between Ino and Shikamaru was unbreakable. No matter how troublesome she was to him, he would do everything in his power to ensure her safety and happiness.

Ino took out a notepad and a pencil and sat down next to Hinata. "So, what kind of emotions do you want in your bouquet? Love? Happiness? Longevity?" Ino asked, going through a list of the common emotions she had heard of with her other clients.

"Iie." Hinata hesitated. It was going to be difficult putting her thoughts into words. After all, it wasn't really a marriage built on love or trust; it was a whimsical union between two strangers. "Simple, hopeful…" Hinata muttered, trying to convey the vague image of the two of them in her head.

Ino jotted down some notes, her eyes sparking with creativity. "I got it!" she said triumphantly. "It'll be totally you! I'll have the bouquet and the floral centerpieces done in two days, and then you can come over and see if they need any adjustments."

Hinata gratefully smiled at her friend. Even though she had only spoken two words, she could trust Ino to bring out the complex emotions she was going through. "Thank you, Ino-chan." Hinata said and got up off her seat.

"Don't mention it." Ino said and went to start on her new project.

The Hyuugas left the shop, heading towards their next destination: kimono fitting.

~*~*~

After a day of running around Konoha getting tasks done, Hinata was about ready to collapse. The three Hyuugas were returning home, each one of them carrying multiple shopping bags in their hands. Her face felt sore from the happy front she had to put up in front of all those that had congratulated her. Nonetheless, she could see the pity in their eyes; this young beauty was to marry the Konoha traitor.

"Hinata-sama." Neji called out from behind. She turned around and saw Kiba a couple of stalls away from them.

"Kiba-kun." She said to herself. Their eyes met, but he broke contact first and quickly turned and walked in the opposite direction. Yesterday's little argument was still written on his face.

Regret and guilt flooded through her, but she didn't go after her teammate. After all, she wasn't sure what to say to him or how to get him to accept it. Hopefully she would be able to say something to him later; she would feel much happier knowing that he was supporting her. But now, both parties were still unsure on what they wanted to say to one another.

"Iie. Hinata-sama." Neji's voice suggested something else and she suddenly felt eyes on her. She turned slightly and realized who was watching her from a distance.

He took a few steps closer. "U-Uchiha-san." She acknowledged his presence, fear laced in with her greeting.

"I wanted to talk to you." He said quietly before turning around and started walking, slowing a little to see if she followed.

"Iie, Hinata-sama –" Neji began.

"No, it's okay, Neji-niisan. I'll go." She said. Hinata lifted up her bags. "Can you and Hanabi-chan take these back to the compound for me?"

Neji and Hanabi hesitated, both flashing a warning glance at the Uchiha before taking the bags out of Hinata's hands and then walked off. Hinata turned the person waiting for her and quietly followed after him.

Her eyes stayed focused on the ground. She felt her own heart racing with uncertainty and fear. Where was he taking her? Could this 'talk' of his turn into something physical? She sensed fewer and fewer people around as they continued walking down the street.

He sensed the tension between them. "Seriously, I just want to talk."

She paused. "About what?"

"I'm curious." The Uchiha also stopped walking and turned to her. "About why you would accept."

Hinata felt her breath hitched in her throat. _Does he know about the mission?_ She turned around to hide her flustered face from him. "B-Because I wanted to." She stammered.

"Why? You liked Naruto." He pried.

She turned around quickly, annoyance written on her face. Sasuke suppressed a smirk; it was rare to see the usually calm Hyuuga get angry.

"N-Naruto-kun has S-Sakura-chan." She said defensively.

"So you accepted out on a whim?" He countered.

She took a few seconds to compose herself again. "H-Hai." She muttered quietly.

Satisfaction flashed through Sasuke's eyes. Hinata then remembered she was to make him feel welcomed at Konoha; that these bonds that they have with him could never be severed. With the threats he had received from many Konoha shinobi and the distance that some of them had purposely put up against him, it no doubt had made him want to leave the village. She didn't want to be another person who would reject him.

"Iie!" She quickly said, trying to take back her earlier reply. "I-I accepted b-because I want to u-understand Uchiha-san more a-and make you feel m-more at home here. " she heard her own voice dwindling and the heat on her cheeks becoming more and more pronounced.

She grew restless under his suspicious gaze. "Did Nar–?" He began. She could already feel a cold sweat on her skin. _Did he figure it out?_

"Hinata-sama." A voice behind her called out, cutting off Sasuke's question. Neji had tracked them down; he didn't trust the Uchiha to have a normal conversation with his cousin.

"Neji-niisan, what are you doing here?" She asked.

He shot a venomous glance at the other man. "I'm here to escort you back to the compound." Her cousin said, his gaze unwavering.

Hinata quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She was saved from the scrutiny of Sasuke's interrogative questions. "Hai."

She turned slightly to say her goodbye to Sasuke. "Anou, have a good evening, Uchiha-san." She said before heading back into town with her cousin.

"Hn."

TO BE CONTINUED...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hoped you enjoyed it! Please review, favorite, and/or add to story alerts! Until next time...


	4. Chapter 4

So, I couldn't wait to get this chapter out! As promised, it is better than the last chapter; at least, I think it is...don't hesitate to review and give comments! And thanks to those who continuously review; it's great encouragement.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 4

"Arigato Neji-niisan." Hinata said on her way back. He came at just the right moment, relieving her of having to answer another troublesome question Sasuke was going to throw at her. He heard her but didn't say anything in response.

Still, the thought of many more encounters with the Uchiha alone unnerved both of the Hyuugas. Hinata repressed her anxiety; she had to do this. She had to accept who he was and what he did if she was to succeed this mission. She couldn't face him like she had just now. She needed to drop the fear. Next time they meet, she would be ready for him.

~*~*~

The day finally arrived.

Many had flocked over to see the union between the last Uchiha survivor and the ex-Hyuuga heiress. They knew that the descendants of this new Uchiha clan would definitely be a formidable clan so of course they would take the chance to know as much of the two uniting clans as possible.

"Is Hinata-chan ready?" Sakura asked. She had just arrived at the Uchiha residence and went to find the rest of her friends.

"Iie. Hanabi-chan took her with some of the servants to help her get dressed." Ino said as she was also waiting outside.

Hanabi came out of the dressing room, holding onto the arm of her older sister. "Here she is." She said, presenting the bride to the world.

Hinata gracefully walked out with her sister, dressed in a traditional white wedding kimono. Everyone stood in awe and excitement for the bride, congratulating her on the big day.

"Hinata-chan, you look absolutely amazing!" Sakura complimented. Hinata looked around all her friends and smiled, thanking them for being here.

Ino stepped up with a bouquet of white flowers with cascading foliage. "Here you are, Hinata-chan, as promised. It's mostly snowdrops, with a mix of Star-of-Bethlehems and lilies."

"Arigato Ino-chan. They are beautiful!" Hinata said in wonder at her friend's handiwork.

"Let's go." Hanabi urged on and led them to the main room.

Applause broke out as Hinata stepped into the room. Ino had outdone herself with the floral decorations on each table. Even the air held a sweet fragrance. Looking around, she recognized many of the faces. She then spotted the other two members of Team 8, very pleased to see Kiba present, no longer wearing that frown on his face. She gently walked up towards them, the smile unwavering.

"Kiba-kun, Shino-kun." Hinata said quietly in disbelief.

She waited in silence for the two of them to say something. Kiba then slowly broken into a grin. "How can we miss out on such a big day for you?" He said. Then he noticed her eyes glazing over. "What? You actually thought we wouldn't come?"

"You have such little faith in your comrades." Shino added.

"Iie." Hinata started. "Thank you, thank you so much for being here. It means a lot to me."

But the smile on Kiba's face disappeared as both he and Shino turned towards the front of the room, where Uchiha Sasuke stood, waiting for her. "But seriously, if you ever need help, we'll be here." Shino nodded silently in agreement.

"Arigato, both of you." Hinata whispered gratefully before proceeding to the front.

Sasuke was dressed in the traditional montsuki kimono with the Uchiha fan on it. Hinata walked up to him, slowly taking her seat beside him. She took a breath in, reminding herself that she needed to be more open.

"Hello, S-Sasuke-kun." She greeted with a friendly smile on her face, no trace of discomfort from their conversation the last time they met. No matter what may happen later on, she wanted today to be happy.

Hiashi then commenced the formal ceremony.

After the formalities, everyone enjoyed a large feast together. While everyone was conversing with one another, the front table was very quiet. Hinata ate her meal in silence, unsure how to break the barrier between the two of them. Sasuke seemed pretty comfortable with the silence.

When the feast ended, the many guests lined up to give their best wishes and farewells. Hinata greeted everyone warmly, thanking them; her groom, on the other hand, stood still and silent with the occasional handshake and one word answers. As line grew shorter and shorter and the sky got darker and darker, the couple said their last few goodbyes before closing their doors. The Konoha 12 lingered a little bit longer.

"Nee-chan, let's go and get you changed." Hanabi said and led her sister into her bedroom. Ino, Sakura and Tenten both followed after. They had moved everything from the Hyuuga compound into the Uchiha residence just yesterday. This was the place she was going to spend years in with a stranger.

As Hanabi helped to remove the many layers of cloth, Hinata realized as she glanced around the bedroom that she was going to have to sleep in the same room with him. But sleeping in the same room with him was the least of her worries; she recalled Naruto saying something about an Uchiha heir. That thought caused Hinata's face to explode crimson, blushing furiously.

Hanabi went to rummage through her sister's dresser, pulling out a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. After today, she was pretty sure Hinata wouldn't want to be in a kimono anymore. Sakura noticed Hinata's flamed face and quickly put a hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature.

"Oi Hinata, are you okay?" Ino asked; her eyes looked at her with concern. "You don't have a fever do you?"

Hinata shook her head, trying to get rid of the thoughts. But Hanabi caught on and a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"Nee-chan, you were thinking about _that_, weren't you?" her sister said slyly. The blood rushed back into her face.

"Eh? Hinata had naughty thoughts!" Ino squealed.

"I-Iie!" Hinata quickly stammered; the embarrassment was just way too much. All of them were laughing at her now.

Sakura put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hinata, it's okay. Sasuke-kun will play fair. He won't do anything if you don't want him to."

Tenten though wasn't won over. "Are you sure? He did pull tricks on others; how did you think he won all those battles?"

Sakura nodded firmly; she had faith in her teammate. "Iie, Sasuke-kun won't harm unless it is absolutely necessary. He's still a gentleman at heart." She said reassuringly.

Hinata nodded slightly, feeling a little better about the matter. Still, a knot of doubt deep down made her a little edgy.

"Kaa-san, when are we going home?" A voice shouted from the other side of the door.

Ino slid open the door and Touya ran into his mother's arms. Shikamaru appeared at the doorway, holding a sleeping Hana. Ino got up, carrying her son up as well.

"Gomen Hinata, but I think it's time we go. It's past their bedtimes." Ino said quickly. Hinata nodded and smiled. "Congratulations again, Hinata. I wish you two the very best."

"Take care, Hinata." Shikamaru offered before the four of them left.

Hanabi left with Neji, both of them flashing her worried glances before they left the compound. Tenten left a little while later, saying she had a mission early the next morning.

"Be careful and take care." Hinata wished her.

Tenten smiled. "Hai." Then her eyes narrowed. "If Sasuke-kun does anything to you, you let me know and he's in for it." She hissed.

"Hai." Hinata said.

Now, Sakura was the only one left. "Hinata, really, you don't have to worry."

"D-Demo, Sasuke-kun wants to rebuild the Uchiha clan." Hinata brought up the matter that had troubled her.

"Yes, that's true." Sakura said. "But he won't do it by force. If he did, he wouldn't want to go through all the formalities of a marriage would he? He wants to do this properly."

Hinata nodded, kind of understanding the logic behind it. Sakura got up. "It's about time I also go too. If you need help with anything, just let me know."

"Hai." Hinata said and walked her friend to the main room where all the guys had gathered.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, you're done?" Naruto asked. Sakura nodded and went up to his side.

"Well, Sasuke, looks like we're going to leave now. Take care of Hinata-chan, okay? Consider what I just told you; it'll be awesome if you accept, but it's totally up to you." The Hokage said.

After the two had left, Hinata was once again left in the silence with her husband. He got up and started for the door.

"Anou, where are you going?" she asked him.

"Bath." He replied simply and slid the door shut.

The door slid open again. "Actually, you go first." He offered, sitting back down and turning on the television.

"Okay." Hinata replied back quietly. "Thanks."

She went back into their bedroom and gathered everything she needed.

As she sat in the warm water, she took some time to reflect on the day. She couldn't believe the day was already over. She wondered how long it would take for them to overcome this awkwardness. It was very difficult to understand how he thinks if he didn't say anything at all. So far, he has been nothing but cordial towards her; she hopes that doesn't change.

She got out of the water and drained the tub. She decided that it might be polite to prepare the water for him.

Then, she returned back to the living room. "You can go now. I've already set up the bath for you."

He got up and brushed past her on his way out the door. She turned off the television and the lights in that room and returned to the bedroom. Sitting down in front of the mirror, she took her brush and started to comb through her thick violet hair. She blow dried her hair as she waited for him.

She went into the closet and took out two futons. Hinata was spreading them out as he walked in, his hair still dripping wet. He proceeded wordlessly helping her set up. So far, it doesn't look like he's going to do anything to her. He went over to his futon and pulled the covers over himself. Hinata looked at him.

"S-Sasuke-kun, matte." She said as she took out the blow drier again. "You should dry your hair before you go to sleep." His response was only that expressionless stare. Then he continued lying down and ignoring her.

"S-Sasuke-kun, you'll catch a cold." Hinata tried reasoning with him. No response from him. Nervously, Hinata got up and sat by Sasuke's head. "I-I'll dry it for you…" She began, uncertain.

He sat up reluctantly. He was tired, but she wasn't going to let him until his hair was dried.

Her hands hesitated in touching the dark locks of his. "Are you going to do it or not?" came Sasuke's impatience. She jumped into action then.

"The stupid dobe wants me to be a teacher." Sasuke said. She paused from sifting through his hair and looked at him.

"A teacher?" She questioned. She grinned at the very thought. The iceberg, a teacher?

"You find it amusing?" Sasuke asked, noticing the smile on her face.

The smile quickly disappeared. "I-Iie." She said quickly. "A-Are you going to do it?"

"Hn."

She dried the last few ends. "Anou, I think it would be nice to be a teacher. S-Sasuke-kun, you're smart and strong; you'll have a lot to offer to the students."

"Why aren't you a teacher?" The Uchiha asked.

"Me? I-I'm not strong enough." She replied back, a humble smile on her face. "I want to be a medic-nin, like Sakura-chan. B-But I'm not strong enough for that either." Her eyes showed a reflective self.

She got up and put away the blow drier. He laid back down, waiting for her to turn off the lights. She did just that and crept quietly into her own futon.

"Good night, Sasuke-kun." She whispered quietly.

~*~*~

Hinata awoke first that morning. Not that she really slept at all last night. She was already feeling homesick; missing the feeling of waking up and seeing her sister's face, sparring with her cousin, and a simple greeting with her father. She glanced at the asleep body on the other side of the room. _It's only the first day, Hinata! You can't wimp out just yet._

She got up quietly and folded up her futon and placed it back into the closet. Gently sliding the door open, she stepped out into the hallway. Heading for the kitchen, Hinata decided that her morning duties weren't going to change.

Rummaging through the kitchen for some ingredients to make breakfast, she barely found anything. How the Uchiha was able to survive this long was beyond her. The cabinets were desolate except for one or two dishes. Her frown deepened. This place had no feeling of being lived in at all; no feeling of home lingered. She also noticed how all the rooms had very little furnishings; it was the bare minimum to survive in here.

_He isn't really planning on leaving, is he?_ An awful sinking feeling got to her. If he was using Konoha as a rest stop before heading towards his actual destination…NO! She needed to prevent that from happening. Though the mission was just to monitor Sasuke, she knew that to Naruto and Sakura, it meant something more. They wanted her to do something more than what was written on that scroll.

The kitchen door slid open; Hinata jumped slightly at the sound. She turned and saw Sasuke walking in. "O-Ohayo, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn." He grunted. He plopped himself down at the table. Hinata hid a smile; _so, he's not a morning person_.

"Sasuke-kun, if you want to sleep in longer, you can." Hinata said quietly as she set the tea set down on the table. She poured him a cup and handed it to him.

"Iie." He replied and took the cup.

She went back to the counter and took a plate of onigiri. "Here. They're plain, but I wasn't able to find much to make breakfast. I'll stop by the market later."

"I'll go with you. I have to give that dobe Hokage his answer." He said.

She perked up, curious on what he had decided. "W-What's your answer?" She looked at him curiously, waiting for his answer as he sipped his tea.

"I'll do it. It's the only way I can get missions; he won't give me any yet." Sasuke remarked, a hint of bitterness laced in.

Hinata forced a smile. _He wants to go on missions? Will he take that chance to run away?_ "I-I'm sure Naruto-kun will give you missions when he feels like it's the right time."

"Hn." Sasuke said and took another sip out of his cup.

"Anou, I'll go get ready." She said and went back to the bedroom to change.

~*~*~

Sasuke waited for her. Yesterday had turned out better than he had originally thought. She smiled at him for once, instead of giving that distant gaze she would usually give. He would admit that she had done well yesterday with handling the guests and so far was doing well as a wife. He was still a little suspicious of her accepting this ever since their last conversation, but decided to wait and watch for further developments. So far, if her goal was to make him feel at home here at Konoha, it was a naïve goal and he had nothing to worry about.

Though he had intended to not do anything that would be against her will, many of the guests had glared him down, giving warnings. He received plenty of tactfully thrown kunais, senbons, and shurikens last night. Even Naruto pulled him aside and friendly reminded him to be a gentleman towards his wife. Sasuke had rolled his eyes; the Uchiha reputation was bad enough as it is. There was no need to add sexual assault onto the list of offenses. Besides, his mother had taught him better than that.

But he sensed the restless that came from her when Naruto and Sakura left, leaving the two of them alone. He decided that putting some physical distance between them was best and went for a bath; then went back and decided to let her bathe first, to help ease her senses.

When he got back to the bedroom, she still had the defensive barrier up. As he pulled the covers over himself, wanting to quickly forget and ignore her for the remainder of the night, she boldly insisted that he dried his hair before falling asleep. His mother used to tell him that, but now that she was gone, he could care less if he caught a cold or not. Nonetheless, her persistence won through as he allowed her to dry his hair.

He must've been really tired, since he openly spoke about what that stupid dobe had asked of him that night. He didn't want to deal with little inexperienced kids. But Hinata suggested that it may be a good thing to do. The more he thought about it, she was right. Naruto had him under a probationary period, meaning no missions until further notice. He had to admit he was bored with being stuck within the walls of Konoha. When he told her that, he saw the fear return to her eyes even though she smiled.

She told him her dream was to be a medic-nin, but she wasn't strong enough. Apparently the emotional toll of having lost the position as heiress was a lot larger than most people had thought. Nope, if she was going to be useful to him and the Uchiha clan, she was going to have to lose that attitude. He's going to have a talk with Sakura.

The door slid open again; Hinata walked in, dressed in her usual training gear. "Are you ready, Sasuke-kun?"

He nodded and went with her towards the door.

~*~*~

"Hey, look! It's the newlyweds." Murmurings throughout the townspeople broke out as they went out together. Hinata wasn't enjoying the attention very much, and Sasuke could've cared less. They browsed through the different stalls; Hinata was bent on cooking a nice warm meal, hoping to change the environment of the Uchiha estate to a cozier, welcoming place. If not for Sasuke's sake, then for her own.

"Anou, what do you want for dinner tonight?" She asked him, sorting through the vegetables.

He subtly eyed the tomatoes that were right next to her. "It doesn't matter." Sasuke said, folding his arms and continued glaring off noisy bystanders.

Hinata caught the quick glance and noticed the red tomatoes beside her. That was when she remembered Sakura mentioning something about Sasuke liking them. She smiled understandingly and began to pick the juiciest, plumpest tomatoes she could find. After another hour or so of looking through the other stalls and shops, Hinata concluded that she should have enough produce for the week.

"S-Sasuke-kun, you have to go to Hokage-sama's office?" Hinata asked, holding her groceries and preparing to head back to the Uchiha compound. He nodded, eyes turning towards the place he needed to be.

"Then I'll head back with these." Hinata said, lifting up the bags. "Anou, I'm going to train with Kiba-kun and Shino-kun in the afternoon. Demo, I'll be back in time to make dinner."

Sasuke nodded impatiently and then headed off towards the direction of the offices without another word. Hinata glanced after him, unsure of what to make of his unresponsiveness. Shaking her head slightly, she decided that it was best to not figure out the Uchiha yet.

Entering the Uchiha kitchen, she quickly put all the groceries away, glancing at the clock and noticing that she was going to be late for the training session. She quickly left the compound, running towards the training ground.

~*~*~

"So, nothing happened last night?" Kiba asked between attacks.

Hinata pulled back an arm, taking aim. "Hai, nothing happened." Kiba in turn dodged her strike.

"You're not saying that because _he_ told you to, are you?" He remarked suspiciously.

Hinata smiled at her teammate. "No, Kiba-kun. He really didn't do anything last night." She insisted before delivering a kick in midair.

"So," Kiba started, blocking her leg. "Where's he now?"

Hinata struggled to get out of his grasp. "He's talking to Naruto-kun right now. He's going to be a teacher."

That left a dumbfounded look on her teammate. Both of them had stopped sparring. "Sasuke? A sensei?"

Hinata couldn't keep in the smile. It was the exact response she had when he told her.

"Like hell anyone would want to be his students." Kiba retorted. Shino, who was sitting under the tree, watching and listening to the two, glanced at Hinata for her response.

"Once the parents find out who their kid's sensei is, they'll pull them out right away. Who would want the traitor teaching the next generation?" Kiba said. Hinata's eyes reflected frustration; she felt the truth in his insult, but she didn't like the discrimination against Sasuke.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata said disapprovingly. She mustered her best glare and directed it at her teammate.

Feeling the pale eyes flaring up, Kiba held up his hands defensively. "Alright, gomen, Hinata." He apologized. "But it's true!"

Hinata was going to retort back, but then she heard a distant voice calling out her name.

"Hinata!" Hinata turned around and saw Sakura coming towards her, waving her hand in greeting. She excused herself from her teammates and walked off to meet the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan!" Hinata greeted with a smile. Sakura looked behind Hinata, glancing at the other two teammates.

"Sorry, was I interrupting your training session?" She asked.

Hinata waved a hand. "Iie, we were about to break anyways."

Sakura looked relieved to hear that. "Then, would you like to take a walk with me?"

Hinata looked confused at her sudden request, but nodded anyways. The two of them strolled around the training grounds.

"What did you want to talk about, Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Well," Sakura started off, a motherly expression glazed over her. "With the baby coming up, I'm going to need help and possibly someone to fill in for me at the hospital."

"Ino –" Hinata stated. She didn't see what the problem at hand was; after Sakura, Ino was the next best ranked medic-nin.

Sakura shook her head slowly. "Iie. Ino, she already has to take care of her kids, along a husband that is almost always away on errands for the village and her own occasional missions to attend to, it wouldn't be fair to ask her to do this."

Hinata sensed where the conversation was going. "Y-You can't possibly…"

"Hai." Sakura stated; they both had stopped their casual stroll. "I know it's a lot to ask; we still owe you for taking that mission we shoved into your hands. But I heard that you kept a garden of medical herbs and that you expressed interest in medical jutsu. With your excellent chakra control and with the right training, I'm sure you'll be able to master it in the time that I have."

"Demo, Sakura-chan…" Hinata hesitated. She was finally getting the opportunity to learn medical ninjutsu, to become a medic-nin. But was she strong enough?

"I believe in you, Hinata-chan; you'll make a fine medic-nin." Sakura added with pleading eyes.

Hinata, unable to reject a friend in need, nodded firmly.

Elated, Sakura clasped onto Hinata's hands. "Thank you so much, Hinata!"

They continued wandering around. "Hinata, how's Sasuke-kun so far?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Sasuke-kun, he's a sensei now." She started.

"Yeah." Sakura sighed. "Naruto told me last night how he offered the position to him. Naruto wants to tie him down to Konoha with as many bonds as possible."

Hinata nodded and smiled, happy that for once someone wasn't threatening him.

Then she suddenly froze, remembering what had troubled her about Sasuke accepting the new position. "Sakura-chan." Hinata said quietly, her frustrated eyes brought up concern in her companion. "Sasuke-kun, he wants to be a teacher so that he can go on missions."

Sakura got the message, but her expression still remained relaxed. "Ah, Naruto already thought of that. He isn't going to let go of Sasuke-kun that easily. At most, Sasuke-kun's group may get some D-rank missions around the village."

Hinata's grin continued to grow; she could feel the relief spreading through her. But then Sakura's green eyes shifted to a more serious gaze. "But because that thought has crossed Sasuke-kun's mind, we shouldn't take it lightly. Hinata, keep a careful eye on him." Sakura warned.

"Hai." Hinata responded firmly.

They had arrived at the edge of town. "Here's where we'll part. I'll meet you at the hospital tomorrow at noon to train you. Ja ne, Hinata!" Sakura said, waving as she headed towards the offices.

Hinata hurried home to prepare dinner.

TO BE CONTINUED...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pretty long...couldn't find a good stopping point, but there it is! Until next time...


End file.
